February 9th, 2006 | The lowdown by Aaron Fowles

Eats on the Streets. The Lowdown on Polish Street Meats.

I'm not a big fan of fine dining. I find it too pretentious, snobby, and downright expensive. Rather, when I'm not feeling like cooking anything, I go for street food. And in Poznan, you've got a few choices.

The Kebab
This is a favorite all over Europe, but in Poland you don't get lamb, though. You get beef or chicken. But for about 7-8 zlotys you can get a big, meaty, saucy contraption delivered piping hot and ready for duty.

Beware, though, because some places will try to put ketchup on your kebab. If you see ketchup anywhere near, make sure you let them know you're not interested. The garlic sauce (czosnokowy) is heavenly. My favorite kebab in Poznan: the durum kebab at Ankara on Ul. Wielki.

The Zapiekanka
A type of French bread pizza, but without the tomato sauce and loaded with mushrooms. These will run you 3.50 zloty for just the zapiekanka plus ketchup, but you can add things to the top for more money. I recommend a zapiekanka topped with fried onions and covered with mustard. The best place to get a zapiekanka is the shack on the west end of Most Teatralny.

The Hot dogs
I'm from Illinois. We have some really good hot dogs there. The ones in Poznan, I'm afraid, just don't do the trick. A few zlotys and you get two rather bland frankfurters on a toasted bland bun. A few zlotys more and they'll cover it with cabbage and carrots. I'd pass these by if I were you.

The Hamburgers
Just don't do it. A little patty with a slice of gouda cheese and loads of cabbage, carrots, and corn (who wants corn on a hamburger?). Avoid it at all costs.

And there you have it. The four typical street foods in Poznan, Poland. Smacznego!